God Rising: The Cult of Ainz: FanFanfic
by orthankg1
Summary: Here I go again, another fanfanfic made based on the works of the great Atheistbasementdragon. This is an AU to what is happening during his second arc that I will call the Great War act, sorry for any spoilers. Ainz has decided to confront the different members of the Theocracy and show them and his allies why you should not break the Accords. (Read God Rising: The Cult of Ainz)


**Hello and welcome to another work of fanfanfiction, I am your host, and thank you to AtheistBasementDragon for letting me play in his sandbox.**

**By the way, seems someone broke the little plastic castle mold, do you have a spare?**

**Now, this is somewhat important, in order to fully enjoy this work, you must have read the work it is based on. Namely God Rising: The Cult of Ainz, this work is, as of the moment I published, 122 chapters long, 602K words long, and the last estimate says it is almost to the half way done point, maybe finishing at around 300 chapters.**

**If you do not read his works, then you will be confused about, well, a lot.**

**And, if you have any complaints about this being different than the Cannon Ainz, I would point out that there is the Web Novels, the Anime, the Manga, and the side stories. So, which cannon?**

**Also, remember, this is an AU based on an AU, so, it is at least 2 degrees of separation.**

* * *

…Kami Miyako…

To say Raymond was having an odd day, would not be accurate for two reasons. The first, was because ever since the revelation of the Sorcerous Kingdom, actually ever since the destruction of the Sunlit Scripture, what counted as odd had become a very relative term. This was only compounded by the war, Zesshi's bet… no, calling what she had done a betrayal would be to smear mud on the name of a woman who had more integrity than most of mankind. She was loyal, it was they who had betrayed her.

So, Zesshi leaving, and then the event which already was being called the divine wave of judgment, only one week ago, had made the use of words like normal or odd up for review.

And second, because even taking into account every life experience up to this moment, what had just happened was more than odd, it was unnatural, simply beyond the realm of thought or understanding.

The divine wave of judgment had not helped Raymond's already weakened health, and the fact the Dominic had managed to basically become the unchallenged ruler of the Theocracy had just given Raymond more reason to remain in bed, or at least no reason to leave it.

One of his servants, Mary, had been bringing him some tea. The door had opened, and the tray was set down on a small table near the wall to the left of the bed. Out of the corner of his eye, Raymond had seen her preparing the drink how he liked. The sound of porcelain clinking against porcelain, pouring of liquid, the sounds one assumes to hear when tea is being made.

Raymond went back to his reading, another report, this one not doctored for the public, saying how the war was really going.

Personally, Raymond thought it was a waste of ink and paper. The whole thing could be summed up very easily in just three words. **WE ARE LOOSING! **Or something like. **THEY ARE WINNING!**

Or, maybe four words. **WE ARE BEING CRUSHED!**

It took a moment, by now, he should hear a sweet young woman's voice saying something about tea. Then, a much longer moment, and still no tea.

Raymond looked up from the paper and saw Mary, still standing, looking down at the tea.

But, something, something was wrong.

Raymond got up, grabbing a walking cane that he had used since the incident, as saying the divine wave of judgment was a mouthful, and DWJ didn't sound like anything. He moved toward Mary, and what he saw shocked him, in some ways even more than the incident had.

There was Mary, holding a pot of tea, and pouring it into a cup. However, the tea that, traditionally, should have been flowing down into the cup, was suspended in mid air.

Raymond waved his hand in front of Mary's face, then went to the door and shouted for someone to come.

It was then that another realization hit him. His shout sounded like a thunder clap, far louder than any shout from a mortal man had any right to be. There was no other sound. Nothing at all. And the stillness. There was no wind, no breath, no clatter and clamor from the street outside. He went to the window, and saw that the whole world was frozen. Birds in flight, children at play, horses in mid trot.

No movement, no breathing, no wind to distort his words, or anything to compete with. No wonder it was so loud.

Taking all of this into account, Raymond nearly doubled over and jumped 20 feet in the air when he heard someone speak next to him. The thing that was next to him seemed to be made of shadow.

No, actually that did not do it justice, whatever this was, it was not made of shadow, it was shadow. This was a darkness from which all light is taken, and then something else was removed. A dark that, to Raymond's eyes, had no form or shape beyond a general outline, so it frightened him when suddenly an arm appeared, pointing at the large hole in reality.

_"__tH__**i**__s wA__**y**__." _The thing said, or, again Raymond almost believed that, somehow, the voice was what one would hear if you spoke by removing sound from a room instead of adding it. _"tH__**E m**__Ast__**E**__r wA__**i**__ts f__**o**__rY__**oU**__."_

Raymond could, with ease, guess as to who Master was, only one being could do this.

This was, well, words did not hold meaning anymore.

* * *

…A Hill in the Southern Roble Holy Kingdom…

If anyone was to ask where you think you will step out after stepping into a hole in the world, Raymond believed that it would say more about the person then the question what the answer is. Paradise, eternal torment, a majestic land, a strange alien world, and other options.

But, he felt fairly confident that anyone asked would have a fantastic answer.

So, coming out of that portal to a very normal hill surrounded by very normal grassy fields, a very normal river, and some trees, was a bit of a let down. It was pretty, sure, but Raymond was hoping that, if this was the last thing he would ever see, it would be memorable, and hopefully for the right reasons.

"Cardinal Raymond, join us."

Raymond turned to the voice and face that had invaded his nightmares. Well, one of them, Dominic was also making prominent appearances. Ainz Ooal Gown had called him over. The terrifying face of the undead only slightly undercut by the amusing form of a bird, frozen with its mouth open about to eat some insect, behind his head.

Raymond looked around, hoping to see some way of getting out of this. What he saw was himself, Berenice, and Ginedine, Emporor Jircniv, Queen Draudillon, Princes Renner, King Zanac, the Platnim Dragon Lord and the Worm Dragon Lord, and Queen Calca all sat at a table fit in any king's personal dining room. And near the Sorcerous King was two elf children, and Zesshi and another elf, a pretty young thing, if you ignored her cut ears. Probably Zesshi's sister.

They sat, all having a large meal. His colleague looking very uncomfortable.

Raymond then turned, and saw another portal open, and out stepped the whole Black Scripture. Even the retired members.

Normally, and even under these new and trying times, seeing the whole Black would have filled Raymond with pride and a feeling of security. None, not even the Dragon Lords could stand against the whole Black Scripture.

But, even without knowing that they had also been, invited, by Ainz Ooal Gown, Raymond did not feel as if they could stand against those here.

And that was before you accounted for Zesshi switching sides.

"Come, members former and present, of the Black Scripture, your food grows cold."

Raymond, broken from his shock, skipped going to his seat near Berenice, and instead went to the head, between Jircniv and Ainz, where Zesshi and her sister stood.

Ainz, Jircniv, and Zesshi did not react, but the other elf took a small step back when he got close. Raymond noticed and stopped, before getting on his knees and putting his face in the dirt.

The list of wide eyes would be long and include all but Mara, Aura, and Ainz, and the last only because technically it was impossible physically.

"Forgive me." Raymond said, his face still in the grass and dirt.

Aoril did not know how to react, but looking back to her sister and her savior, she had the courage to stoop down to the man in the dirt. "I… I can not forgive you, not for my mother, or the friends in my village, or the elves in other places, the countless dead, the nameless thousands who have died, the tens of thousands who have begged for death."

Raymond couldn't say he blamed the girl, all things considered, he doubted he would ever forgive himself.

"But, I can forgive, for myself. For what was done to me, I… I can forgive you." Raymond then felt a hand on his shoulder, trying to help him out of the dirt. He was grateful, as he was not sure how he would have managed on his own.

"Cardinal, if that is all?" Ainz asked.

Raymond thought for a moment, but he figured if he was too die, he also had nothing to lose.

"King Ainz Ooal Gown, if I might, a last request?"

Ainz looked at him, and Raymond, for a moment, felt like the undead might be raising an eyebrow in confusion. "What might that be?"

"I have many elf servants, who I bought in order to free them, as have my two comrades here, I ask that you save them, as you have others, take them from the Theocracy like you did myself and the others, and let them live in the safety of the lands your gave to those you gave already saved."

Ainz seemed to think a moment. "Anything else? Compensation for your expense perhaps, a request for mercy?"

Raymond, finding courage he never knew he had, decided to ask for more. "If you please, sire, I have two elf children, they look to be about the age of your two servants." He looked over at Aura and Mare. "I would like the chance to say goodbye before my death, and that they be given a place in your house. They are good children, they can learn, and they learn fast. They were the first two I saved, and they deserve a reward for the help they have given me in these last days."

Ainz did not answer him, but looked to Zesshi, then back at him. "I can fulfill all but one request. I know not the hour or day of your death. But, should I receive word of it in time, I will bring the children too you."

Raymond wanted to speak, but the confusion made it hard. So he just looked at the different faces around him, from the unreadable undead too the other Cardinals, to the Black, to the elf girl who still stood near him to help him stand. "Is… is this not, my last meal?" He looked at the last empty place at the table.

Ainz, did something that, tell the end of Raymond's days, he would never forget. He laughed.

"My good Cardinal, if I was serving your last meal, I would have brought better food." Ainz then motioned for a portion to be brought to him. "Do to my form, I can not eat the food at my table, but, I can still smell it. It is one of the few carnal pleasures I can still enjoy."

Raymond, and others, tried not to gape at the words.

"I can tell by the smell, that this is not the best my chef can offer." He then took a knife, cut a bit of food, and offered it to the elf children. "What do you think, Aura, Mara?"

"I think it could be better, his burgers are much better." Aura replied.

"I… it is, slightly, lacking, my lord." Mara said.

"So cute." Zesshi said under her breath, but Raymond heard it, and the look she was giving the girl… suddenly many things clicked into place. And not just for Raymond, but anyone who knew Zesshi and her, proclivities.

First, this was no girl, but a boy dressed as one. At first this confused Raymond, but the more he thought, the more he understood, this could be some form of tactical advantage.

Second, he had beaten Zesshi, and that was why she looked at him with lust.

And third, and worst of all, if he beat Zesshi, then this boy, as cute and as girlish as he looked, could probably raze the whole Theocracy by himself, then scatter the ashes to the four winds.

"You see, you have nothing to fear from me."

YET. The word was not said, but it was clearer then the word that were actually said.

"Thank you sire." He said, then he went to sit.

"Now, forgive me for not providing out best, but I find that, even if I could eat, my appetite is not with me." Ainz then withdrew a number of papers. "Tell me, do you recognize this document?" He asked as it was passed out.

Once everyone had a copy, they realized that this was a copy of the Draconic accords. And one by one they all nodded.

"Good. I was afraid my memory was slipping. Tell me, is it the same as when you saw it first?" Again, all nodded. "Now, forgive me, but at the bottom of the page, who signed the document, raise your hand so it may be seen."

All the hands, except the members of the Black, raised their hands.

"Hmmm, I find that interesting."

Any more Ainz might have said was interrupted by the sudden appearance of elves, perhaps some 300 or so, and two of them, when they saw Raymond, moved to be close to him.

"Greetings, I am Ainz Ooal Gown, and by the request of the Cardinal Raymond of the Slane Theocracy, you have been freed."

The gaping mouths of the elves showed their answer to that statement. Ainz then snapped his boney finger, and suddenly time started again. "Come, eat and listen, and if you feel you must speak, either to condemn or defend any here, please speak now, or at any time while we are here."

None spoke, yet, but Ainz was sure they would soon.

"Now, those that raised your hands, I have a question. I will admit, while I am knowledgeable about many subjects, I will not claim my knowledge is limitless, or without flaw. So, it is possible I missed some custom, some tradition of ancient times. That might explain why this document is so broken." He then looked at the document.

"I. All surrenders will be accepted and no surrenders will be false for strategic use. This one you have kept, if only because none have surrendered to you.

III. No religious or cultural sites will be desecrated or used for military purposes. This one you have kept, if only because you have not taken one step into my lands. But, some of your men have prevented my followers from their worship in the lands were they can be found and that I do not control.

V. No use of world items. I suppose that is no longer a problem." Anzi and the Cardinals gave Zesshi a look, one that the others who were not in the know did not miss. And they were not stupid.

"VI. All wounded are to be treated and restored to health, no matter the nationality or race. I will let you have that, if only because you have yet to claim victory, and those who run from the enemy can not be reasonably asked to heal while running."

Then, the air changed, like at the meeting in the Draconic Kingdom or when the incident happened. And what ever doubt anyone had about where it came from was silenced.

"II. No captive will be subjected to forced labor, sale, or deprived of their lawful property." Anzi did not speak, he just looked around, at the 300 or so elves who, now sat in chairs brought by the undead servants and eating food. "I would be willing to, forgive, this slight. No great nation has been built in history without a great labor force. And, traditionally, slaves from a nation conquered by the new one is what is used. But your nation, you were not just using them, you lied to those who surrendered, you raped, pillaged, burned, starved, and sold off, those who you took. If there is a sin, a wrong, you did not commit against the elves, then it was only because you lacked the imagination to think of it.

IV. All instances of sexual or sadistic violence or slaying of the civilians or prisoner populations, to include torture for interrogation purposes, will be considered criminal acts, subject to trial by a neutral nation."

Everyone around the table waited for the next words. But it seemed as if he was shaking. It would start, then stop, then start again.

"Words…" He paused. "There comes a time, when words alone can not express what one feels. I don't know why. Is it because mere mortals can not express some feelings by words alone, and so they do not craft the words to express them. Or is it, that these feelings, are so primal, so deep, that to try and put them into words is folly because no words can be so primal. Or maybe, that in these moments, what a single person feels is so personal, so deeply tied to who one is as an individual, and to the event that caused the emotion, that even if you could craft the words to express them, they are lost on any other person."

Ainz paused, but before he could continue, Ginedine spoke. "I assume, you are referring to the great wave of negative energy that affected all of the lands near here."

Ainz looked at the Cardinal. "You are correct. When I received an incomplete list of how the accords were being broken, that was my reaction."

"Incomplete?" Ginedine asked.

"Yes. My subordinates felt that it was only necessary to report those that broke the accords with the permission of their superiors, or by the order of a superior. I do not know when a soldier, on a whim, decided to violate a villager along the road of march. But I do know when they were given permission. And let me assure you, the list was not a short one."

Ginedine was silent for a moment. "Lord Ainz, do you know how old I am?"

The question was not one Ainz expected. "I do not."

"I am about 103, I am the oldest of the Cardinals, and I have served the Theocracy for almost 70 years. When I first entered the church, the war with the elves had been going on for nearly 160 years. My nation has been at war with the elves for almost 300 years, the only person alive today that remembers a time when we were not is the mother of Zesshi, some kind of effect, we assume, from barring Zesshi, or exposure to the Elf King's magic, or some combination or something else."

"Interesting." Ainz said. "But I fail to see your point."

"In my 70 years of service, I have become the foremost expert in laws, and a great many other things. Before the war, there was a time when the elf king would sell his subjects to other nations, ours was one, but E-Rantel and Barharooth are not blameless either, it was picking up a shipment of elves that led to the Elf King coming into contact with the 9th seat, Zesshi's mother. After that, war broke out. We started taking villages, we took slaves, and burned others. We did accept surrenders, in the early years, sending the Elves back into their kingdom, only for the Elf King to ship them back to the front line."

"Cardinal Ginedine, while I appreciate the history lesson, I still fail to see the point." Ainz said.

"My point is, slaves have always been a part of our nation, of any nation. Even your undead laborers are slaves in a way, just unfeeling beasts of burden. My point is that there are whole generations of my nation that have been born, lived, had children, died, then the children have died, without knowing peace with the Elves. My point is, my Lord Ainz, that we did not start out evil. We were good once, our aims were pure, or as pure as vengeance can be. We needed more food, so we took slaves to man the fields, we needed more arms, so they were sent to the mines. We needed ways to keep the men in line, so slaves were sent to their tents. We needed money, so we sold them." Ginedine said. "What we did was evil, but at the time, it was a necessary one. I hate what we have become, it took an old man nearly 100 years to realize how far we have fallen, but I do see it now. And if I can see, after so long, then surely all is not lost."

Ainz took in the words of the man. "There is a story, of a boy, he comes to the royal court. One day, he sees a guard, standing, in the middle of the courtyard, no doors, no walkways, no treasure. Nothing to guard. He could not figure out why the guard was there. Then he asked, and no one knew. Then, after searching the records, their came across an entry. 200 years ago, after a harsh winter, the princess saw the first flower come up through the stones. To prevent anyone from stepping on it, she ordered a guard stand watch over it. After a while, she must have forgotten, and never thought to cancel the order. And so, for 200 years, every day, all day from sunup to sunset, a guard stood watch, long after the princess was dead, and the flower gone." Ainz then turned to the man when he had finished his story. "But, this was not a flower, or a single guard, that your nation forgot."

"I do not deny it. I am sure you know that I have taken to walking the streets, visiting the slave pens and markets, and it soon became my custom to not eat for several hours before or after. Our nation is on the wrong path, the gods would not have wanted this, but I believe our nation is not beyond hope."

Ainz stood, and others followed. "Mare, assist Cardinal Ginedine in walking, and shield them from the sun." Ainz then led the group and pulled a book out of his inventory. "This is a book of religion from one of the worlds I visited. I would like to read you all a little."

No one disagreed.

"Genesis 18: 1 The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way-now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say."

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread." 7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said. 10 Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?" 13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, `Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." 15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh."

16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know." 22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.

23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing- to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it." 29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it." 30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." 33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home." Ainz then looked at the group. "Any question?"

"Lord Ainz, forgive me, but, um, who is the lord that keeps being mentioned in the book, the one Abraham is speaking to, is it you?" Mare asked as he helped the 103 year old Cardinal walk.

Ainz then chuckled a little. "No Mare. In that world, there were three religions that practiced monotheism, the belief in one God alone. In fact, the three religions, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all trace their roots to Abraham. According to them, the LORD is the same as God, a being that created all life by simple words alone. He said let there be light, and light sprung into existence. Let there be life, and all forms of life came into being. From nothing. I admit, even I do not have the power to birth matter and life into the world from nothing. If that is the case, he is truly impressive."

"Not nearly as impressive as you though." Mare said.

Ainz just laughed. "Who knows, maybe, have to meet him I guess. Any more questions?"

When no one said anything, Ainz began reading again.

"Genesis 19: 1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning."

"No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."

3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."

6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."

9 "Get out of our way," they replied. "This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

10 But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.

12 The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, 13 because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it."

14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."

16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"

18 But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared."

21 He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.)

23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. 26 But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

27 Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.

29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived."

As Ainz finished, they came over the hill and saw a city, burned to the ground. "Tell me, can you tell me what city this was?" He asked his guests.

It took a moment, not from lack of knowledge, but because they did not want to speak it. Maybe, if the name remained unsaid, it would not be true.

But, eventually, Berenice spoke. "Wenmark."

"Yes. Like the LORD of old, I looked upon this city, and I judged it. I found no righteous men here. Not 50, or 45, or 40, not 30, not 20, and not even 10 could be found. How many lived in this city? Several hundred thousand, a million?" Ainz asked, but no one could answer. "How many righteous would I find if I walked though your capital?" He then turned to the Cardinals.

The Cardinals all gulped. It was not a question they ever wanted to have to ask. "I would like to think you would have no problem finding more then ten." Berenice said.

"Hmmm." Ainz gave a none committal grunt before turning back to the burned husk that once was one of, if not the most powerful city in the southern kingdom. "I wonder, how many would have said the same had I asked in Wenmark?"

"Lord Ainz." Raymond said, drawing the attention of all. "Forgive me if I offend, but, if we are not here to die, then why are we here. If you are going to tell me that the Theocracy has broken the accords, I will not waste my breath with lies. We have. Both directly through our keeping slaves, and indirectly through the terms of our alliance with the Elf King. So, I ask that you tell us why we are here if it is not to pay with our lives. We have no power anymore, Dominic has taken control from us, so we have nothing to offer if this is a negotiation."

Ainz looked at the Cardinal, as did Jircniv and Draudillon. Both rulers had, at one point or another, been in a position where the Cardinals were now. At the mercy of Ainz Ooal Gown and having done something that had angered the powerful king. Draudeon with Vanysa, and Jircniv the day he met his now superior and possibly friend.

Both would have never had the guts, or the complete death wish, to speak like that, even now. Raymond wasn't just saying they had failed, he was admitting he had no way to make it right.

Well, it had been nice knowing him.

Ainz on the other hand, started chuckling a little. "Brave words Cardinal." Ainz then pulled out a box, and then with a wave of his hand, the group was teleported to the center of the city, where he, Niea, and Blue Rose had stood as he unleashed his power. "Brave words indeed." Ainz then placed the box on top of the fountain. "Tell me Cardinal, do you know what Jaldabaoth was?"

The question confused both Raymond and everyone else. "A demon."

"Correct, and what do you know of demons?" He asked.

"They are hate personified, death made flesh, or whatever a demon is made from. They know nothing of mercy or kindness." Raymond answered like it was a lesson every child learned, which, in a way, it was. Both inside the Theocracy and outside.

"Does anyone have anything to add?" Ainz asked, and those gathered all shook their head no. "Disappointing." He sighed, again confusing some by how alive he seemed.

"Demon are not born, at least on in the tradition we think of as birth. In a way, the creation of undead is much closer to demon procreation. A demon of sufficient power takes the hell earth from their world, and is able to create a new demon in this way. From that moment on, the new is a slave to it's master. In order for a demon to become more powerful, it must consume other beings of power, preferably other demons, but a human or demihuman will also do." Ainz paused to let the lesson sink in. "Imagine, you are born into a world of fire, your first moments are a pain unimaginable. You are then commanded by the one who caused this pain to go forth and kill anything you can find. If you die, then your life will be drained and body consumed by the one who killed you, probably because they were given a similar order. If you should live, and kill others, your master will someday recall you and eat you himself to gain the power you have earned. The only chance you have is that someone kills your master before you die, thus freeing you. But, now you are alone in the world of hunger, so your only chance is to create demons to serve you because all of your former 'brothers' now want to eat you, and hope not to suffer the same fate as your former master. This, is the endless cycle the demons live in. Can you really blame them that they know nothing of mercy?"

Everyone, even Raymond who had fought a demon or two in his time, had to agree.

"Jaldabaoth was an emperor demon. A master of kings. Your demon gods, that the 13 heroes fought and killed, would have been sired by one like Jaldabaoth, possibly even Jaldabaoth himself."

Everyone, even the Dragon Lords and the Black shuddered a little. The legends of the demon gods were not legends to the dragons, they remembered them well, the Platinum Dragon Lord having been on the front line with his 12 friends. And the Black was privy to information that most did not know about many of the great enemies of humanity.

"Now, can anyone tell me the laws of energy?" Ainz asked, and this was such an odd question after the revelation of what Jaldabaoth was, it took a moment for those gathered to shake their heads no. "The laws of energy state that nothing can ever truly be destroyed. No Energy can ever be lost or destroyed, only change form. Wood becomes fire, which become heat and ash. If it was possible, you could isolate the heat and ash, and if you knew how, you could use it to reform the wood." He then removed a blue mask from the box, but before he could speak, Calca screamed.

Everyone turned to see the Queen collapsed in a pile on the ground, looking at the mask with a face so white you would think she was dead, again.

"That… Th… That…"

"Is the mask of Jaldabaoth." Ainz finished.

"Why?" Calca said, her mind trapped in the time when she was still alive and used as a weapon against her people.

Her vision suddenly cleared. Looking around she saw three black scripture members all using [Lion's Heart] to calm her.

"This city, is full of ash of the wicked. It is not the pure evil of the hell earth of the native demon lands, but it will do for my purpose." Ainz said, and suddenly everyone realized why they were here, and they all felt some skeletal hand gripping their hearts and giving a gentle squeeze.

"You are going to recreate Jaldabaoth." The Platinum Dragon Lord said.

"Yes." Ainz said. "I have heard the cries of the dead, and the living. They cry out against Astraka, and for him. Those that cry out for him seem to think that Jaldabaoth's power was, exaggerated, by those in the north. They think that they are trying to save face by overstating the power of the demon so their defeat is not so shameful." Ainz said. "Now, assuming we discount your elven slaves, Astraka was the first to dare to break the accords. In fact, I doubt the ink had fully dried on the page where he signed before he kidnapped my servant, my friend, with the plane to torture her for information. So, I will take care of several problems at once, I will prove the power of the demon Jaldabaoth and at the same time punish Astraka by unleashing hell upon his southern supporters, and help end the fighting that much sooner."

Raymond, shocked by what was happening, moved forward to stand before Ainz, kneeling to the undead king. "Lord Ainz. I have heard it said by those that follow you, that you are a god of mercy, of kindness, that to you, the death of 100 nobles, of half your army, you treat the wound of the peasant child in the gutter with as much care as you do events like these. Do not do this, remember your mercy, and find a different way."

Ainz was, impressed. "My good Cardinal, your words have moved me." Ainz then summoned a simple wood block, and a sharp knife. "For that reason, I will show mercy." He then placed a copy of the accords on the block. "As you can see, there are five accords that deal with the treatment of the lands and people. Originally, I intended you to give up one of your five senses, but now I will settle for your fingers."

Raymond, and everyone else, were very confused. "What?" Raymond asked.

"Originally, I was going to give you a choice, blind yourself, cut out your tongue, make yourself unable to hear, and unable to smell. If you had done this, I would have forced Jaldabaoth to abide by 4 of the 5 accords. Now, however, I have decided at if you will cut off one finger, I will hold him to one accord, two get you two, three three, and so on."

Raymond, felt a little faint. "Why?"

"Zesshi believed you worthy of life, that you are a good man. I wished to test that. Originally, I intended to leave you like that until the end of the war, and then heal you, so you might gain a proper understanding and appreciation for suffering, and become better for it. However, losing your fingers, and the constant reminder that a ruler must be willing to sacrifice for his people, is also a valuable lesson."

Of coarse, Ainz was lying. He never intended to let Demiurge go full on Jaldabaoth on the south, he was always going to test Raymond by having his fingers cut off, but making it sound like he was showing mercy by drastically reducing the price would probably win him a few points.

"What would giving you my whole hand get me?" Raymond asked.

"Hmmmm…" Ainz thought a moment. "I'm afraid not."

"Well then, may I make a request in exchange for my hand?"

Jircniv had long ago become numb to shock, Ainz had made such a regular practice of it that the only thing that really shocked him anymore was going a week without being shocked. But this, most men would trade away a great deal to stop from being crippled. Once when talking with a man under his employ, one that had a very loose job description and that revived pay through a fund marked as 'building improvement', had told him how a man might fight for a day to keep his life, but would fight a week to keep his limbs. Being crippled was a much worse fate than being dead.

Surely his lord was wiser than any other, that he could make a man willing to trade away his hand. It was chilling. And everyone else watching thought so as well.

Ainz, was actually just as shocked. What the hell was this man doing? He was trying to sell Ainz his hand? WHO DOES THAT!?

On the outside, he was more composed. "Please make your offer."

"You have the power to send out messages, I have heard of your message demons who shout your will from the heavens. Are these just stories?"

Mare and Aura were a little offended by the question, but Ainz stilled them with a simple look. These were powers beyond the man, so he just wanted to know if what he wanted to, buy, was possible. "Yes, it is simple magic."

"Then, I ask for the truth. I ask that you send them to the Theocracy, tell them the truth of how the war is going. Dominic has consolidated his power, telling lies that not only are we winning, but he is all but saying he is the one swinging the sword that slays your armies. If the people know the truth, if they are given reason to doubt his words, then perhaps I can save my people." Raymond says.

"Hmmmm…" Ainz hmmmed again, thinking it over. "If Dominic remains in power, the accords will continue to be broken, if that is the case, I will have no choice but to visit your capital myself."

The shudder those words caused was clear, and it was not just the Cardinals and the Black who reacted.

"But, I feel my demons would not be enough, may I offer an alternative?"

"Please do." Raymond said, both relieved, and a little confused.

Ainz first raised his hands. [Widen Magic] [Lion's Heart] [Reinforced Constitution] [Good Health] [Regeneration] [Mental Boost].

As Ainz cast his spells, everyone grew both confused and concerned as the magic washed over them. "Ummm, Lord Ainz, why are you casting these spells?" Calca asked?

"I merely want no one to be, adversely affected by the magic I am about to use." Ainz then summoned the staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. The staff had a few useful perks, beyond just combat. One of them was to replay events that a player had recorded. A few people had even figured out how to use guild projecting to play videos recorded outside the game, one or too projecting adult material. The bans were quickly issued and patched. One of the ways it was fixed was to make it so only fully immersed recordings could be played. So instead of being a flat movie experience, it was more like a 360 video, or a virtual reality video.

Of course, it was still possible to sneak adult videos and other outside content into the game, but it limited the options considerably and it was easy to track, so bans were easy to dish out by the devs.

[Maximized Magic] [Widen Magic] [Projected Replay]

Technically a tier 10 spell it looked very flashy, but was actually not more draining then a tier 1 spell. Like [Grasp Heart], it was a part of a category of spells that, while flashy, were considered more cosmetic then actually powerful. And were more used for role playing then anything else. So the magic drain was minimal. But in this new world, the effects were very different.

In this case, it was like a mist rose up from the ground, and suddenly the destroyed and burned city became a single fortress, one Zesshi and Draudilon knew well, and one the Cardinals were familiar with. Their seemed to be a siege going on, and it caused some to look down in shock when an arrow struck them but did no damage, instead passing through and going into the dirt behind them. Everyone, even Aura and Mare, took a moment to get their bearings.

Then the ground underneath them began to move, along with a single figure. They were moving with a single armored figure, armed with a large scythe, her hair and eyes and ears clear to see. Zesshi, on an undead mount, charged the wall. Soon arrows flew, but they always fell several feet behind her. "So slow." She said with a laugh and raised her scythe, the arrows suddenly turned from death's messengers falling almost to fast for an eye to track, to splintered wood and feathers falling helpless.

Eventually her undead mount was hit several times, but it continued on, gaining speed, as if the archers did not exist.

Reaching the wall, they watched as Zesshi leapt and screamed, an anger and fury chilling those watching more than even the fact that Ainz had froze time not so long ago. Activating several martial arts, it seemed as if the moment she taped the wall it shattered, the stones accepting their fate and just wanting to get out of the way. She struck a few more times, before the hole was large enough that several men could go through easily.

She then rushed 20 yards and struck again, then again, and again. Men were sent to stop her, but they died so easily that even saying at least their bodies cushioned those behind them from the explosion of stone being thrown into the city would be more speculative than fact. And the viewers were terrified that stones and blood flew toward them and passed through, not harming them in any way.

The viewers stopped moving, Zesshi leaving them behind, and for a moment they saw the men gathering behind the hole in the wall, stepping over the dead, to look at the viewers in horror.

But it was not them these men saw, and when the viewers heard the shouting, they turned to see an angry army charging, and it was again terrifying, as the masses of men, spear first, charged right through the viewers and slaughtered those waiting inside the wall.

The scene then shifted, and again the viewers were scared when they found themselves looking down and saw a great drop below them, ending with snow covered, and probably very sharp rocks. Climbing the mountain, they saw an army of men, elves, and demihumans. From the movement of the sun, they saw that the events taking place were moving faster than it would in actuality. The army seemed to be running up the mountain, but it must have actually been a very slow pace. They saw one woman carry the weight of 20 men, and then pull a dozen up at once by a rope. Eventually they reached a large plateau, with a large amount of snow, and the sun slowed. "Now what?" A man asked the woman.

Suddenly, they felt the same chill they did when the incident happened, and saw as it caused a great avalanche. The men in the army stood straighter, and seemed less chilled, as the snow crashed into the fortress and destroyed walls and killed countless men.

Once more it changed, and they saw an army marching. It took only a few moments to realize that for every one man in real armor there were 79 'men', made of straw and painted to look like men in full armor, holding also wood polls painted at the tip to look like spears. The straw men were bound together and sting on the, at least, real horses, and the horses were painted to look armored, and a scroll was tied to a few of the horses in each line.

A large army of Theocracy Soldiers, all gleaming in their armor, charged down, and in short order then 40,000 strong army was crushed, every 'man' and horse killed in an hour or so.

The sun then again moved faster than it should, and seven days later, after the crows had had their fill and there was nothing much left, the Theocracy sent 2000 men to destroy the 'bodies'. They would have sent them sooner and more, but the incident had slowed them, as all the other events happening. But a small force of 2000 or so city guards would quickly be able to burn away the evidence of what had really happened. And besides, what had they to fear from straw men and dead horses.

They set the fields alight, the straw quickly catching and burning, and the scrolls that no one had thought to look at burned up along with them.

The men stayed to watch, making sure the fire would not spread, but suddenly something was very wrong. Something was moving in the flames, but looking directly at the blaze was nearly impossible so all they saw was a black shape. It was not until one of their comrades let out a scream that they turned and saw an undead horse trampling him.

What was more disturbing, was when another came out of the flames, the black shape bigger than the first, as atop the horse was a Death Knight, with its giant shield and sword. It began to slaughter the men where they stood, rooted in fear.

And what was once 40,000 dead horses and 300 or so dead men became 40,300 undead horses and their terrifying mounts, and after slaughtering the 2000 simple city guards who had come to burn them, they turned and rode to the west.

The ground flew under the undead and the viewers, and before they knew it, they came to a battle.

The Black and the Cardinals felt a little faint as they saw the dead come from the back in a pincher, the army of General Enri on the other side, and as the two came together, they swallowed the city of Wheaton, the breadbasket of the Theocracy. This loss was only a few days old, and the pain of it was only made worse by actually seeing it. As clear as day they watched the army fall and be trampled by the undead and living army.

***Hay, Athiest, buddy, just saying, seems like a waste of 40,000 perfectly good horses if they just feed the crows *******

As the last image faded, all understood why Ainz had felt the need to cast the magic he did. Without the reinforcing bravery of [Lion's Heart] and [Reinforced Constitution], they might have all fainted, possibly even died from the shock. The magic of [Good Health] [Regeneration] and [Mental Boost] probably the only reason that Genidine had not had a heart attack, and that anyone could even understand what was happening.

"Will that suffice to show the truth to your people?" Ainz asked?

Raymond, regaining his words, just looked at the undead king with a whole new level of fear, something that he thought impossible. "I think I would like a drink?" A drink was passed to him, which he took and enjoyed. Then picking up the knife and moving faster than Ainz expected, he removed the five fingers from his left hand. And then what was left of the hand came with it. "Is that a clear enough answer?"

Ainz mas impressed, then used healing magic to stop the bleeding. "You did not try and cheat me. You could have removed the hand entirely and saved yourself some pain, but you chose to remove the fingers and then the hand, such honesty deserves a reward." Ainz then reached into his inventory and pulled out a metal hand. "Try this on." He handed it to Raymond.

Raymond put the hand where his used to be, and it attached as if by magic. Ainz then motioned for him to turn around, and pulled a feather out of his inventory, and pressed it to Raymond's middle finger. "What do you feel."

"Something touching my middle finger." Raymond said, Ainz then touched his thumb. "My thumb." Then his palm. "My palm."

Everyone was amazed.

"I extracted the price I did so you would never forget and try and do better. I think this will remind you just as well as no hand, what do you think?"

"Thank you, Lord Ainz." Raymond said.

"Now, to resurrecting the demon Jaldabaoth." Ainz said. And he then directed the groups to move a far distance away, marked by Anzi. Mare then used his staff and struck the ground, causing a green and yellow dome to appear around the party.

[Falling Down] Anzi cast the supper tier magic.

Honestly, what he had said was not wrong, as far as he knew. In the lore of the game, according to an old diary you found when exploring a mansion infested with demons, that was how the demon society worked, and you could get as a drop from certain high level demons the fang or claw or wing of a certain demon as a drop, that when combined with the right objects and spell, allowed you to summon that demon as a summons to use to fight.

But, with Jaldabaoth not being dead, at least Demiurge was not actually dead, the actual spell, also super tier, would not do anything, especially to a normal mask from a masquerade event.

But, no one needed to know that, and the flashiness of [Falling Down] would help sell the narrative.

After a minute, the spell activated, and a blinding flash of light encompassed a great area, and even behind Mare's shield only the Dragon Lords remained standing. When the light cleared the once burned and ruined city of Wenmark, or at least a good chunk of the inner city, was now gone. In the place of ruins now there was nothing but sand and fine ash. A landscape so barren that even the driest desert could not have lacked more life.

In the center stood two figures, one large and commanding, one thin and terrifying.

The group was led back to Ainz, and when they saw the demon Jaldabaoth, looking as he did back in Re-Estize or when he had broken open the ceiling and taken Calca from her throne room.

When she saw the demon, Calca, now reinforced still by the spells, strode forward and struck the demon. First once, then twice, then again and again. What she was screaming was unintelligible, meaningless nonsense that sounded very angry, but beyond that who knew.

Ainz, after a few moments, moved and pulled her back from the demon. "My lady, you waste your strength, you can no more harm me then a fly might draw pain or blood from a mountain." Jaldabaoth said, his customary snarky politeness still present.

Ainz's response was to strike the demon himself, the blow to the demon's abdomen causing him to double over. "Listen well Jaldabaoth, by my calculations, you have seven days to live. Poetic in a way, my servant that Astraka took spent four weeks in his carriage before suffering three hours of torture. You may kill every soldier, shatter every sword, break every shield in two, put a hole in every breastplate, I don't want a single piece of armor or a weapon not farm equipment in the south. Send every potion back to my army, and every scrap of food the people do not need to eat. The south is to be rendered useless, no reinforcements of any kind."

"What about wood and stones?" Jaldabaoth asked.

"Cut every tree you find, but leave the stump, place the trees in the roads. Break down the door of every house you find, and destroy the gate of every city wall. Leave the stones."

"Very well." Jaldabaoth said. "But, even alone, I am only one demon, may I summon some helpers?"

"No, I will do it, with this." Ainz then again reached into his inventory and withdrew Armageddon Evil.

"That is…" Jaldabaoth began.

"Armageddon Evil, a magical artifact I believe you were looking for some time ago, when you came to Re-Estize."

"But I found it, here." Jaldabaoth said before a flash of light brought forth another item. Both were small statues, like a common paper weight, a man with a goat head holding jewels. But the one Ainz had was gold and had many more arms and jewels then the one Jaldabaoth had, and Jaldabaoth's seem to have a broken wing.

"I will take that." Ainz said, and he held out his hand. Jaldabaoth seemed almost pained to part with the object, but eventually did. "And I will summon the demons to assist you. I will not let them run free after you fall."

Again Ainz was thinking on how to minimize the risk, even if it was only for his enemies. Everyone was again amazed by how thoughtful he was in all things.

[Armageddon Evil. Through your dark power, by the darkest evil of hell rise up, may it drown the sun, boil the oceans, and topple the mountains]

'_Damit, why did Ulbert have to make the activation so long and evil sounding. Sure I want to show everyone how powerful I am, but still, it's a little much._' Ainz thought.

Everyone else was thinking that it was impressively powerful.

Around Ainz, fire began erupting from the ground, and out came ten demons of impressive strength, literally clawing up out of the earth.

'_Level 55 to 75 demons, not the level 101s that could be summoned by the World Item it was styled after, and it could summon 100 of them. But 10 was impressive enough at such levels to amaze the inhabitants of this world.'_ Ainz thought.

Even the Dragon Lords were impressed, such a group, without wild magic, would require the might of several, maybe even all of the Dragon Lords to insure victory. Of coarse, with a properly powerful wild magic spell, they would be handled easily.

'_Still, not on par with the Demon Gods, but to summon so many and so easily, the power in that object is incredible."_ Platinum thought.

"Now, go, and I will be watching."Ainz said, and the demons departed. He then turned back toward the group gathered. "Cardinals of the Slane Theocracy, members of the Black scripture, if I might offer you a little free advice." The different members of the Theocracy looked at one another, then nodded in agreement. "Keep an eye on the Southern Holy Kingdom, examine what is happening, look at it from every angle, and then consider how easily I beat Jaldabaoth when at full power, and then ask this simple question. When, not if, my eyes turn toward your own capital, what do you want me to see? You already have a, debt, to pay to me, and have earned not a small amount of interest on that debt. How much more can you rack up before the price is something your nation can not bare."

With these last words, several gates opened and it was shown that the meeting was over.

* * *

…Kami Miyako…

When Raymond returned, he returned to a scared group of servants and some personal guards. Raymond was about to say something, but then heard a noise like a storm brewing.

Raymond went to the window and saw the clouds forming. He quickly turned to those gathered. [Lions Heart].

"Cardinal Raymond, what is going on?" One of his guards said.

"Something, terrible." Raymond said. '_The truth often is_'

* * *

…On the streets…

Outside, the average man or woman was having what might be considered an average day. Shining sun, the priests crying out the honor and glory of the gods and how the Sorcerous Kingdom was falling to the Theocracy.

The gathering of clouds was, unexpected, but nothing to worry about.

Suddenly, it was as if the capital was melting away, and suddenly everyone in the capitol was in the middle of a battle.

Some screamed, some ran only to bump into a wall that was no longer their, or fall down stairs they could no longer see. Soldiers slashed at the soldiers that appeared, and occasionally accidentally wounded some civilian or another soldier.

Calling the reaction of the people to what was happening mass panic would be an understatement.

* * *

…Dominic's office…

Dominic was looking over papers when suddenly his room, his desk, even the chair he was still sitting on was gone.

The only reason he did not fall out of his chair, was because not only was it a very comfortable chair with a high back and sturdy arm rests, but also rather heavy and not easily toppled

He found himself hovering above an army attacking the Forlorn Fortress. Dominic had never been to visit personally, but he knew enough about what it looked like to recognize it. What no one outside a select few knew was that the fortress, build for the sole purpose of surviving a siege for years, even by dragons, had fallen in three days.

Some things the people did not need to know about.

Suddenly, a lone figure moved out from the lines and charged at the walls, and Dominic recognized the white and black hair anywhere.

"Zesshie?!" He yelled allowed.

After this, it took Dominic a long, long moment to understand what was happening, but when he did, it shocked him so much it was honestly a miracle he did not somehow explode.

As it was, the chair certainly earned the cost it took to make it.

* * *

…Counsil Chamber...

It was only a few days latter, the reports began flooding in. The short version was that 200,000 soldiers had been slaughtered, and food had basically become a foreign concept in the south. What little they had was not going north.

Gustav may have been a thorn, but the over all effect was a dent in the food supply and needing to send a few thousand men to try and deal with him.

This, was a sudden and complete stop, dead, of any food. And the numbers of losses was climbing, fast.

And, another problem, surprisingly, a new one, was that every weapon and piece of armor in the south was being destroyed. Reports said streets were littered with shattered swords, helmets torn in half, and breastplates rendered useless by being broken or bent into an unusable shape. And every tree had been cut in a large area of the kingdom.

To put in mildly, the south had been rendered useless. They had no food, men, or equipment. And they could not reinforce using the southern ports, the march north was blocked by more trees then one could even count. And having to march through wide open fields of trees cut to the ground, the stumps meant they could not move that way. Not with carts and wagons of supplies. And there was no other way to reinforce the army, as every other method involved marching through enemy held lands.

"This is not working." Raymond said.

"Thank you for the observation Raymond, anything else?" Dominic said.

"This is different. We have no food, our bread basket is taken. We have no soldiers to feed with the bread we do not have because Ainz Ooal Gown has shown everyone that we are not winning, so no one will volunteer, and we are out of prisoners to force into recruitment. We have no way to get our none existent soldiers and none existent food to what soldiers we have fighting without fighting through unfavorable odds. And we have no way to consolidate what soldiers we do have in the field because they are all either too few or too starved to fight their way back to one another." Raymond said. "We have no move."

Dominic did not answer, just looked at the maps, again. He turned that map, again. He picked up the pieces on the map representing men and supplies, again.

Suddenly, a snarled twisted look came over Dominic's face, something that did not fill Raymond with hope. "Prart… We can get the armies to Prart, we can siege the city with the others, kill Niea, and maybe pull out a win."

Raymond could not stop his jaw dropping. "Even, even if we sent every scripture we have, and they somehow got their in time, and even if we get half of our men to the city, they will either die outside the walls from starvation, or outside the walls by the arrow or sword of the enemy because they are too tired to fight effectively. We do this, the only ones who will benefit will be coffin makers and those offering last rights."

"A better plan would be to send the scriptures to try and punch a hole through the enemy so they can retreat back to the Theocracy. If we can gain control of our fields again, we can consolidate our power and make a stand." Ginedine said.

Dominic just snarled, and then called a man to draft an order, the men would try and make it to Prart or die trying.

* * *

…In Nazarick…

Vanysa watched as her dear Demi slaughtered Astraka's men. He had sent her back a shipment of men, and she was putting something special together for him.

Demi had shown her a record, a disk that if put in a device played a song. This one played a song called the "Carol of the Bells", a favorite of many supreme ones during the Christmas season.

When asked, Demi had said it was a holiday of the first world held near the solstice, and somehow involved a fat man and gifts.

Vanysa had decided to make a special rendition. She first tested the different men with different tools, tested the pitch of their screams. She was looking for just the right men to put together, then she would play them and recreate the music.

"Now, please remember, its Bum bum bumbum, not Bum Bum bumbum boys, this is a love letter to the man… demon, I love. No slacking."

* * *

**Well, ladies and gents, what do you think.**

**SO, I decided to make a few suggestions, and Atheist you can use anything you want. For instance the horses, and also I tried to explain how a war that is 200 or so years old that was started over a woman and then Raymond and Dominic can be talking about her in the present tense.**

**So, please enjoy.**

**P.S. Thank you to AthiestBasmentDragon for, somewhat, using my idea. **


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